


Ready Or Not (Here I Come)

by Dark_Star134



Series: Staying Alive [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Child Neglect, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27122089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Star134/pseuds/Dark_Star134
Summary: Johnny did not sign up for this. He works as a DJ, not a debt collector.(But, he does it anyways, and he never regrets it.)
Series: Staying Alive [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979686
Kudos: 18





	Ready Or Not (Here I Come)

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty short.
> 
> Trigger warnings: Implied Child Neglect, Swearing

' How the hell did I end up doing this...' Johnny wonders to himself.

The house in front of him is made of brick and stands out against the new, brightly-painted houses of the street next to it. There's a small, cracked walkway from the front door to the road, and the windows have dark curtains, shut tight from the inside to prevent anyone looking in.

Clearly, anyone who lives here does not want to be disturbed.

Johnny hesitates to ring the doorbell, because it's dirty, and for all he knows, broken. He settles for knocking on the door, softer at first, then louder when he hears no response other than the doorframe creaking and groaning.

Johnny knew he'd been picked because he was tall, and kind of intimidating, but he was also just the DJ. Why had the club manager sent him instead of the bouncer or even just the police? How much did this guy owe? And how did they know he wasn't just dead, or passed out somewhere?

Johnny knocks one more time, deciding that if no one answers, he'll leave and just tell the manager he tried. Unfortunately, the door is opened.

A kid who looks about 5 pulls the door open. He stumbles a little, and Johnny feels an overwhelming urge to catch him. The boy is clearly underweight and malnourished. His dark brown hair is tangled and greasy and his clothes are too small and ripped in several places.

And damn, if the too familiar look in his young eyes that tells Johnny he's seen more than any kid his age should doesn't break his fucking heart.

" Is your dad home?"

The boy stares at him. He doesn't seem to understand what Johnny said, no recognition or any kind of emotion flickering over his face.(too cold for a child)

" The guy who drinks a lot and smells funny. Is he here?"

Johnny feels so awful when the kid nods at that and opens the door wider.

The inside isn't much better, with broken bits of something (probably glass) and stains that could really be anything on the floor and walls. It smells like alcohol, and something awful.

The boy leads him into a room with carpet (thank goodness he'd left his shoes on) and a ragged couch. A television sits on a box opposite the couch, turned on to some random channel. There's empty alcohol bottles next to the couch.

Johnny can hear someone snoring.

( Later, when his manager asks how it went, Johnny says that the guy didn't open the door. "Probably dead, or passed out somewhere." The manager sighs and nods in agreement.

Later, Johnny Googles "what size clothes do 5 year old boys wear?" and if any of his neighbours complain about loud noises, he tells them he's adopted a puppy.)


End file.
